Transcript

00:00:01

>> San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback, Colin Kapernick, has brought his controversial protest in the name of racial equality, to the big show, Monday Night Football, and the national audience that goes with it. I'm Lily Jamali for Reuters at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where Colin Kaepernick chose to kneel, not stand, during the National Anthem, here at the 49ers home opener.

00:00:27

He was joined on the sidelines by 49ers safety, Eric Reid, who kneeled beside him, while a handful of players, on both the 49ers, and the LA Rams stood with their fists in the air as the Star-Spangled Banner played on the day after the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

00:00:44

Critics told Kaepernick to shut up and play as his team shut out the Rams. But he's remaining defiant in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Asked about a comment from an ESPN analyst that he's a backup quarterback, whose job it is to be quiet and sit in the shadows, Kaepernick sounded off.

00:01:03

>> To me, you're telling me that my position is a backup quarterback and being quiet is more important than people's lives. Now, I would ask him to really have a conversation with the families of people that have been murdered, and see if he still feels that way.>> Despite being second string, Kaepernicks' jersey has become the NFL's top seller since he started his protest two weeks ago, by remaining seated during the National Anthem.

00:01:27

And then, kneeling for the tribute as he did Monday at a game last week in the short time since, he started something of a movement across the league.